week's debate dramatically shifted momentum. as in almosteverypoll, governorromneyisnow statistically tied with or leading president obama. for mitt romney the challenge is to keep the wind at his back. at a rain-soaked rally in virginia last night, he focused his renewd optimism. >> people wonder why it is i'm so confident we're going to win. i'm confident because i see you here on a day like this. this is unbelievable. thank you so much. ( cheers and applause ) >> ifill: and in iowa today, the governor departed from his usual stump speech to tell a more personal story of an encounter at a christmas party a few years ago. >> one of them was a guy actually from my home state of massachusetts. relatively young guy compared to me. he was a former navy seal. he was living in san diego. he learned about him. he talked about his life. he told me that he keeps going back in the middle east. he cares very deeply about the people there. he served in the military there. went back from time to time to offer security services and so forth to people there. you can imagine how i felt